Catchup and Countdown

Here's hoping getting up early in the morning to post pictures will actually work today.  But I'll probably be napping later...

In September, we took a few days off to celebrate our first anniversary!  Brian was unable to get any time off from work over our actual anniversary, so we celebrated a month late.  Hopefully that won't always be the case, but I suppose August is a popular time for most people to travel.  We're thinking of making a beach trip an annual occurrence,  since it is our favorite place to be.  It was amazing to be able to just be together, away from home for a day or two.  It did rain quite a bit, and I was sicker than normal, but we truly relished the chance to deepen our relationship and reminisce over the first year of our marriage.

 We discovered this little car on a sunset walk.

 And I thought I felt big then!

 Bethany Beach, DE.  Lovely, very quite place.

 Assateague.  Lovely and wild looking place.  Almost haunting.  The pony drive is in July, so we missed that, and it was very rainy, so I think most of the horses were seeking shelter.  We came back covered in mosquito bites.  Brian did manage to capture this horse...

 ...And self-timer strikes again...  We're both getting pretty anxious for Baby J to make his/her appearance.  Don't know who is more excited.

 This is Baby J at 31 weeks.  Already outdated because my belly grows and changes shape daily.  This weekend I'll be 34 weeks, with about 6 to go!  

This Mommy is big and uncomfortable these days and very ready to meet her little one.  Feeling very mother bear-ish--want to keep baby all to myself for a little while. ;-)

  Papa Bear isn't much better.

Snowstorm in October!  This is the before shot; I don't have the after.  This is the first time in my life I've ever seen a snowstorm in October.  The last time we had an accumulation of snow like this was in 1925!  Apparently, La Nina has formed again, so we'll probably be in for a long, hard winter.  Brian and I are okay with that; we're going to stay snuggled in with our little one (though we might get a bit restless).  I think we got about 3 inches here, but where Brian works, and in the mountains, they had close to 10 inches!  Plus ice!  Crazy!!  The colored leaves were so pretty against the white snow.

I have lots of projects to complete before this Baby arrives, but it doesn't seem to make the waiting any easier!  Know what else?  It's almost Thanksgiving....AND CHRISTMAS!!  My favorite time of year!  Enjoy it, people!

Smiles!

Time to Build an Ark

Time for a monthly baby update!  But before I show you pictures, I'd like to plead with everyone to please pray that the rain would leave this area.  Every day now I dread listening to the news and seeing pictures.  So many of my family and friends have lost their homes and evacuated areas due to flooding.  Roads are closed, major highways shut down, streets are buckling, businesses are submerged, schools are closed ("snow" days in September!), sewer plants, water plants, etc are shut down.  It's bad up here--mostly in PA.  The flooding hasn't been this bad since 1889.  I personally don't mind the rain--autumn is my favorite time of year!  Rain or sun, I love the weather, baking, the leaves turning (peak around Oct. 18-25), the colors, decorations, candles, sweaters, fireplaces, etc.  However, my heart aches for those I know who are losing so much.  I find it ironic that those in TX pray desperately for rain, while we pray desperately that God would send it elsewhere and away from our water-logged soil.

So, what have we been up to recently?

 Brian's company sponsored a company outing at a local baseball game!  If there's one sport I actually enjoy watching, it's baseball.  The company paid for one of those elite boxes and all the food we could eat!  The weather was beautiful, the home team won, I enjoyed meeting my husband's coworkers and families, and we enjoyed a free date night.

 Next was a trip to Annapolis, MD to spend a day with some good friends.  We loved touring the old city, seeing incredible buildings, and watching the ships in the harbor.  It was a bit rainy, but we had fun anyway.  Brian and I especially enjoyed the fellowship with friends--something that happens rarely.

 The only plants that have survived my balcony gardening are these sunflowers and the pepper plant.  We should be able to pick the pepper soon, though I must admit, I'm more anxious than Brian is.  He keeps telling me to wait, and I want to just pick and eat it.

 Our anniversary!  I was feeling pretty miserable that day, so we just decided to stay at home and spend time together.  I did make a special breakfast, though, with Brian's help.  We have always wanted to try Eggs Benedict, and that's what we made!  It was a lot of fun and tasted great--even if it did make me sick afterwards.

 Brian made yummy mochas--complete with whipped cream!  I tasted some, but decided against drinking it.

 I also made a brownie layer cake with peanut butter frosting and ganache.  Let me just say....there are no words to describe how amazing this tasted.

 I've been on a "everything must be cleaned NOW and all my projects completed YESTERDAY" phase, so we refinished some furniture over our anniversary.  We had a lot of fun, and I'm pretty sure the paint landed other places besides the furniture.  The house is looking GREAT, and I only wish I could paint the walls and remodel a bit.

 Baby at 24 weeks!  We're getting very close now & I cannot WAIT to be done and hold this little person in my arms.  Actually, I can't wait for the day when I'm finally done throwing up and trying not to be sick all day.  I've tried to do well dealing with it, but I think after 9 months, I just am ready for a break.  That said, I've had a bit more energy and motivation the last few weeks and have greatly enjoyed it!  Brian teases me daily about the size of my belly and how clumsy I'm becoming--he claims if this rain keeps up he'll need to build an extra big ark--just for me!  I also think baby has a conspiracy to play all night long while Mommy tries to sleep.  

Thanks to Hope for this picture!